Meet Ian Brown: Samo's figure skating champion
Salena Hajidamji, Staff Writer
Ian Brown’s (’22) passion for ice skating started as just a fun activity, but he then realized his love for the sport was so strong that he could turn his passion into something more. Starting at the age of five, he began to take the sport more seriously, and he has devoted a lot of time and training to get better in the hopes to turn it into a possible career.
Since then, Brown has joined the Southern California Figure Skating Club and has been practicing all over the city and even competing in junior competitions. After winning the 2013 Van Nuys Iceland ISI Opening, Brown decided he wanted a partner out on the ice with him to make the experience during competitions more relaxing and fun.
“In pair skating, we share the stage and can just have fun out on the ice together without all the stress,” Brown said.
Making the switch from solo skating to pair skating made Brown appreciate the sport even more because he no longer had to handle the stress of competing alone. Brown and his partner, Ava Leslie, a sophomore at the Orange County School of Arts, have known each other since birth and have been best friends for a while. Both trained individually until eventually making the decision to work together in 2013. The pair share a common background and connection to the sport that allows them to work so well together.
Since joining forces, Brown and Leslie have won the 2014 Preliminary California Competition and the ISI Spring Competition that same year. Along with this, they placed first in the California Open Championships in 2018. They have even begun competing in more advanced competitions like the 2019 Juvenile Pacific Coast Sectionals.
Due to COVID-19, there has not been much of a possibility for Brown to practice or even compete with his partner. The virus has essentially eliminated the pair aspect, so Brown has been working on his single figure skating to continue improving and be ready for next season when competing in a pair once again becomes a possibility.
